Fate-Path Imbalance · The Star's Path Falls Broken

Yan Yue stepped into the "Aurora Nether Layer," the Dawn Wheel around her spun gently, her stillness impeccable even before she moved. Lan Xuanzhou's expression was solemn. Upon entering the arena, he activated the Illusory Spirit Realm Wall, dividing the battlefield into four layers of illusory spaces, intending to confuse Yan Yue's judgment.

Yan Yue silent, shattering all illusions with a single move, Annihilation Abyss Opens Silence, plunging the scene into utter stillness.

"Your illusion magic... is too shallow." Yan Yue's eyes were indifferent, surrounded by radiant light.

Lan Xuanzhou began to use his soul skills "Clouds Reflect Rippling Dreams" and "Illusory Soul Returns to the Tide" to create Soul Ripple Mirror Sea, but Yan Yue only used Endless Dawn Radiance to shatter all the soul tides, and Xi Yin pressed down on the boundary, stripping away all the illusions.

Yan Yue still did not summon her Innate Martial Soul. She simply raised her fingertips and Dimension-Severing Soul Law and the Silent Abyss Returns to One succession, shattering the entire soul energy structure of the Lan Xuanzhou.

Lan Xuanzhou retreated in utter shock, realizing that every move this woman made was not for showing off, but rather a precise strike at the root of his skills.

As Yan Yue unleashed the prelude to her fourth move, "Dawn's Dawn Breath Annihilates Heaven," a sun-like Dawn Wheel appeared in the sky. Lan Xuanzhou's pupils constricted sharply, and he broke out in a cold sweat.

"I... admit defeat!"

"I am no match for Yan Yue... To fight again would be to invite my own annihilation."

The entire arena trembled. The referee's ring appeared, Yan Yue firmly in the center, her robes unmoved and her aura undisturbed.

Accompanied by a deep, resonant chime, Qin Yu stepped onto the stage.

His robes remained unmoved, his eyes slightly lowered, and the entire [Light Order Corridor] seemed to subtly lower in sync with his aura. It was an indescribable "majesty of the superior" pressing down on one's very soul.

Yu Cangxu stood at the other end, his martial spirit not yet fully formed, but he already felt as if the surrounding space was frozen, annihilated, and impossible to attack.

He looked at Qin Yu's calm expression, as if he were above Black Abyss, and the echoes of his crushing dominance over He Liusha and himself when he entered the arena resonated in his ears.

That wasn't a battle; it was a complete and logical suppression.

A moment of silence.

Yu Cangxu suddenly took a deep breath, clasped his hands in a bow, and spoke loudly:

"Yu Cangxu, a disciple of the Observing Abyss Law Hall, concedes defeat in this battle."

"Brother Qin's strength is formidable; I am completely convinced and dare not presume to fight."

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

Ji Sichen was slightly surprised, then nodded and announced:

"In this battle, Qin Yu of the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall wins."

The referee's ring fell, the light subsided, and Qin Yu won again without making a single move.

He didn't say much, calmly turned and left the stage.

In the stands, someone whispered two words:

"Absolute suppression of power."

After the final battle concluded, the entire [Light Order Corridor] gradually calmed down, with the lingering echoes of combat skills still swirling in the void, seemingly telling the story of the heavy price paid for this intense trial.

Ji Sichen stood atop the Destiny Platform, his gaze sweeping over the seven participants still remaining below. His voice, neither hurried nor slow, resounded throughout the surrounding area like a divine decree:

"The first round of promotion assessments in the Abyss of Fate Sequence has officially concluded."

Based on their performance in this round, the following three disciples have lost their chance for promotion due to three consecutive losses.

As the words fell, three beams of light slowly descended, illuminating their respective locations:

Observing Abyss Law Hall - Yu Cangxu

Bewildering Heaven Hall · Xiao Heng

Silent Retrospection True Hall · He Liusha

Ji Sichen's tone was solemn:

"Although the three performed admirably, they have been officially eliminated according to the rules of the elimination sequence."

The pillar of light slowly dimmed, and the three bowed their heads and clasped their hands, their expressions varying as they withdrew from the battle stage, while the surrounding stands erupted in a cacophony of commotion and sighs.

Then, Ji Sichen spoke again, his tone becoming solemn and mysterious:

"Now, there are a total of seven people who have advanced."

Seven golden rays rose in succession, illuminating the figures still remaining beneath the battle platform:

Eternal Evolution Realm Hall - Qin Yu

Eternal Evolution Realm Hall - Yan Yue

Void Law Realm Hall - Luo Guifeng

Grand Cognition Divine Hall · Si Xunmo

Light Discourse Extremity Hall · Lan Xuanzhou

True Word Extremity Hall · Mirror Abyss ·Yu

Realm Origin Awakening Hall · Lan Qisheng

All seven individuals possessed composed expressions and restrained divine auras, each a formidable powerhouse who had swept through the previous rounds, truly shining stars who had emerged from the numerous source halls of Source of Epochless.

Right now--

Suddenly, a vast array of starlight gathered in the sky, and a slowly rotating halo seemed to crack open deep within the firmament.

Ji Sichen slowly raised his hand:

"The Fate-Path Star Wheel - Begin!"

The next moment, countless starlight descended, constructing a giant star map spanning the entire sky above the Destiny Platform. Its shape resembled a celestial wheel, yet it also seemed like a chart of the flow of destiny, with each star track corresponding to one of the seven people below, as if guiding their fate!

The star wheel slowly rotated, and the seven stars glowed faintly, symbolizing the seven warriors who still stood in the Abyss of Fate Sequence.

One of the most blazing stars, shining brightly at the core of the star chart, is none other than -- Qin Yu's Fate-Path Star.

Meanwhile, the Fate-Path Star of Yan Yue, Si Xunmo, Mirror Abyss Yu, Luo Guifeng, and others were slowly rotating in different star fields, their starlight subtly revealing the majesty of an unfinished battle.

Those watching from all sides held their breath in awe.

Because they all understand--

With the emergence of the Fate-Path Star Wheel, the true Final Wheel of elimination based on destiny has only just begun.

Starlight cascades like a waterfall, destiny's path loops like a circle.

Just as the star map was fully unfolded, Ji Sichen, with a solemn expression, slowly stepped forward, his authoritative voice resounding throughout every inch of the destiny platform:

"The Abyss of Fate Sequence - Round Two Trials, now officially begins!"

Immediately, all the spectators, the high-ranking members of the Source Palace, and the seven participants all tensed up.

Ji Sichen stood with his hands behind his back, his voice as clear as a tolling bell:

"This round of assessment is no longer about fighting each other or a battle of skills, but rather about your ability to construct the Core of the Fate-Path."

"All seven of you have demonstrated formidable combat prowess and skill sets in the previous rounds. However, as temple guards, combat strength alone is far from sufficient."

Therefore, in the second round, we will test each of you on --

He pointed to the sky, pausing briefly:

"The power to control the Fate-Path Star."

The star wheel trembled violently in an instant!

Each of the seven stars revealed a different colored trajectory of light, rotating rapidly around the main star ring!

Ji Sichen recited them one by one:

This round of assessment covers six dimensions, totaling:

Destiny trajectory construction, star source logic, causal analysis, reincarnation stability, technical system, Proposition Generation.

"Each item will be reflected in the Fate-Path Star, deeply read and written by the Destiny Platform Array, and projected into the sky for observation by the Palace Masters and high-ranking reviewers."

"Of the seven, two will be directly eliminated by the Fate-Path Star Wheel due to insufficient Fate-Path Star Power, incomplete logical construction, or unqualified proposition authority, thus losing their eligibility for promotion!"

The entire audience was stunned!

Yan Yue, Qin Yu, Si Xunmo and others all straightened up, while the others looked either tense or solemn. Lan Qisheng even had slightly sweaty palms and unsteady breathing.

Ji Sichen spoke again in a deep voice:

"In this round, cheating is strictly prohibited, and no external interference with the star chart construction is allowed. The completeness of one's destiny trajectory depends entirely on the degree of integration between one's own foundation and the destiny structure of Innate Martial Soul."

"Now, the Destiny Orbit Assessment officially begins. The order will be determined by the Star Wheel itself, and the seven stars will light up in sequence according to their stability."

⸻

At this moment, seven beams of life light suddenly burst forth from the center of the Fate-Path Star Wheel!

The seven stars, as if receiving a divine mandate, shone brightly in turn, while deep within the star wheel, mysterious celestial patterns were quietly being unlocked.

A true contest for sovereignty over destiny has begun!

Who can construct a truly perfect logic for destiny's trajectory?

--Who will be directly eliminated by the Star Wheel due to the collapse of the proposition?

And who will emerge victorious after this round, truly ascending to the position of guardian of the Temple of the Source of Epochless?

The course of destiny has begun; the stars will be judged!

--The Abyss of Fate Sequence: Second Round of Fate-Path Star Assessment: First Tester: Realm Origin Awakening Hall & Lan Qisheng--

On the vast star map, the seven advanced individuals were positioned in the seven star positions of the Destiny Platform. At this moment, beneath the main star palace, Ji Sichen's voice echoed in all directions:

"The first test taker of the Fate-Path Star Assessment— Realm Origin Awakening Hall · Lan Qisheng."

As his voice fell, a pillar of starlight rose up from the center of the Destiny Platform, engulfing Lan Qisheng into the central star field platform.

That was a luminous space woven from the logic of destiny and stellar components, called the [Fate-Path Deep Domain]. At this moment, billions of starlight converged, and a stone platform formed from the essence of destiny slowly emerged, its star patterns shimmering, and the six major destiny tests unfolded in sequence.

⸻

[Part 1: Constructing the Fate Track]

Lan Qisheng stood tall, took a deep breath, formed a hand seal, and revealed his natal destiny totem: "Origin-Awakening Heavenly Wheel" behind him.

A bronze-colored wheel appeared behind him, its surface engraved with seven layers of source patterns, each representing a key breakthrough in his cultivation career. But at this moment, Ji Sichen lightly made a hand seal, and only five of the seven wheel patterns on the star map flickered slightly.

"The connection between fate and destiny is unstable... The fifth layer of source points lacks logical support, forming a virtual area."

Ji Sichen made his judgment in a low voice.

The spectators on the sidelines frowned slightly, especially the several cultivators from the True Word Extremity Hall and the Light Discourse Extremity Hall, who could clearly see that Lan Qisheng's life trajectory was broken in the middle and not perfectly connected.

⸻

[II. Star Origin Logic]

Then, the Destiny Chart rotated again, and the celestial star patterns cascaded down like a waterfall, surrounding Lan Qisheng, testing the degree of fusion between the cultivator and the star source energy level.

Lan Qisheng activated his Soul Sea, and a stream of azure starlight immediately appeared and flowed into his palm. However, the starlight kept flickering and dimming.

"Star Source logic fluctuation deviation is 38%. Fusion delay exists."

"Cause: Multiple false source gaps appeared in the interrupted bits of the Spiritual Sense Star Chain."

Ji Sichen's announcement caused a murmur of unease among many Source Palace disciples. Theoretically, those who could enter the Abyss of Fate Sequence should have a high degree of compatibility with the Star Source, but Lan Qisheng's fusion rate was far from meeting the standard.

⸻

[Part Three: Causal Analysis]

This step is particularly crucial, determining whether the cultivator can identify the logical structure and causal chain of the enemy and friend in battle.

Lan Qisheng stood within the star array, and before his eyes appeared a series of simulated causal scenes. He closed his eyes, attempting to analyze the causal chains that constituted the three virtual enemy techniques:

1. "Fictional Shattering Annihilation Palm": Parsing error

2. "Soul Lock Reversal Array": Analysis successful (4 breaths)

3. "Thousand-Faced Mirror Concealment Technique": Judgment failed (misjudged as an illusion technique)

Ji Sichen's voice was calm and steady:

"Three enemy techniques, two wrong, one successful. Analytical accuracy only 33%. Judgment failed."

⸻

[IV. Cycle Stability]

Upon entering the cycle of stability test, the entire Destiny Platform transforms into a realm of retrospection.

Lan Qisheng entered it, attempting to reenact his three core battle experiences to verify the consistency of his destiny.

• The first battle was successfully reenacted.

• The second battle went illogically.

• The third battle resulted in emotional breakdown and a disruption of his destiny.

"Excessive residual thoughts in the cycle of reincarnation have caused disorder in the cycle. Stability maintenance has failed."

⸻

[V. Technical Structure System]

At that moment, Lan Qisheng roared and crossed his hands to unleash the Realm Origin Awakening Hall techniques, "Mystic Awakening Source-Shattering Blade," "Primordial Heaven Illusory Soul Wall," and "Awakening Wheel Thought-Severing Lock."

The three skills were executed flawlessly, but some details were noticeably choppy. Ji Sichen said coldly:

"The skill chain has a low combo rate and there are breaks in the skill chain. The deduction failed."

⸻

[VI. Proposition Generation]

The last item is crucial.

Lan Qisheng slowly gathered his thoughts in his sea of consciousness, and a proposition appeared in the air:

[All causes return to the source; self-attachment opens the boundary]

The proposition appeared only moments before cracks appeared in the sky, and the surrounding starlight dimmed.

"Insufficient logical support; proposition not closed loop. Generation failed."

⸻

After all six assessment items were completed, Ji Sichen spoke slowly, his voice steady:

"Lan Realm Origin Awakening Hall Lan Qisheng a pass rate of less than 50% in the Destiny Track Test and is not qualified to be promoted to the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall Guardian - Eliminated."

As Lan Qisheng slowly stepped down from the center of the destiny platform, his footsteps seemed to tread on empty air, each step a shattering of all the "faith" he had painstakingly cultivated and built up over the years.

He lowered his head, his eyes were blank, and the whole world seemed to be silent.

--Did it fail...?

Each comment from earlier was still echoing in his mind:

"The trajectory of fate has broken in the middle... unstable."

"Star Source Logic Fluctuation... Not Qualified"

"Parsing failed."

"Disruption of the cycle of reincarnation."

"Technology chain broken."

"The proposition is not a closed loop."

Every word was like a hammer driven into his soul, shattering his belief, which he had held for many years as the "strongest rising star of the Realm Origin Awakening Hall." Lan Qisheng clenched his fists, veins bulging, his teeth clenched, and a lump formed in his throat, which he stubbornly held back.

He was unwilling to accept it.

He was truly unwilling to accept it!

He embarked on the Dao of Construct Techniques at the age of ten, climbing all the way to the Realm Origin Awakening Hall, becoming the strongest disciple within the hall. It took him a full eighteen years to stand on the Star Platform of the Abyss of Fate Sequence in the Eternal Evolution Realm Hall.

But now, in just half an incense stick's time, it has been declared—eliminated.

He felt as if he had been publicly humiliated from the top of an incredibly bright starry palace. Even the word "eliminated" felt like a slap in the face, resounding in the hearts of all the audience members and striking his own dignity hard.

Even so, Lan Qisheng did not break down.

He looked up at the altar, his eyes filled with pain yet unwavering resolve.

"One day, I will return. In the name of a truly closed loop, I will once again tread the Abyss of Fate Sequence."

When he turned away, the light in his eyes was dim, but there were no tears.

Because on this celestial staircase of the Source of Epochless, no one will shed tears for your failure. Only by climbing back can you have the right to call yourself a strong person.

His figure slowly disappeared, being transported away from the center of the life-or-death platform.

Ji Sichen's gaze swept over the remaining six people on the star map, and he spoke calmly:

"The next tester from the Abyss of Fate Sequence —Yu, Mirror Abyss of the True Word Extremity Hall, enters the Star Domain."